At Coat Amour we try to do our bit for the environment and follow the normal route of recycling. Bottles, plastics, cardboard are recycled. We have large dustbins for all of these things near the house and near to each of our two gites. Vegetable peelings and of course grass weeds and other vegetable material goes into our compost mountain.

We have now gone one stage further and used wood from a sequoia tree, some reclaimed oak panelling, parts of the old swimming pool roller mechanism and some salvaged pulleys and have started to build two climbing frames. We cut down the sequoia about four years ago because it was threatening to topple over across the main road. We had the trunk cut up into large lengths, then planked and left to dry.

After three days work the first of two identical climbing frames for my grandchildren was finished. Planks from the sequoia form the frame and the floor, the oak paneling the side walls, the alumimium tube from the roller mechanism forms the fireman’s post, and the old roller handle has been adapted to make a winch to hoist supplies into the camp! I even donated the Jolly Roger from ‘Silent Flight’. The grand children want a slide, however I may have to buy a plastic one.

The next job will be to make another one, then take them to pieces, flat pack fashion, and take them to the UK for final erection. Jenny is not sure who is most excited about all of this ~ the grandchildren or me!